Monthly pay runs
Gross-to-net calculations with PAYE, UIF (1% employee + 1% employer) and SDL where it applies, plus branded payslips.
Payroll for South African employers
We send your payslips on time, file your EMP201 by the 7th, calculate UIF and SDL, and complete both EMP501 reconciliations each year.
Would you rather talk it through first? Message us on WhatsApp or book a call with Jolandi.
South African payroll deadlines
South African payroll is deadline-driven: PAYE, UIF and SDL declared and paid on the EMP201 by the 7th of every month, IRP5 certificates for staff, and two EMP501 reconciliations a year. SARS applies penalties automatically when any of these is late.
Each month you send us any changes, such as new starters, leavers, hours and bonuses, and we prepare the calculations, payslips, statutory submissions and year-end certificates.
Payroll services
EMP201 every month
We file your monthly declaration and confirm the payment amount with you before the 7th.
EMP501 reconciliations
We complete both reconciliations each year and issue IRP5/IT3(a) certificates to your employees.
UIF & Department of Labour
We keep UIF declarations current so your employees can claim when they need to.
COIDA support
We help with your Compensation Fund registration and the annual Return of Earnings.
Starters & leavers
We handle the payroll side of new starters and leavers, including tax numbers, UIF and final pay.
Moving your payroll to us
- 1We gather your details
We collect your employees' details, their pay, your pay dates and your SARS employer registration. If you are not yet registered as an employer, we register you.
- 2We bring across year-to-date figures
If you move to us mid-year, we carry over each employee's tax and UIF figures so your EMP501 still reconciles.
- 3Your first run goes out
We send payslips to your team, confirm the EMP201 amount and make the SARS submission on schedule.
- 4Each month after that
Each period you send us any changes and we run the payroll. If nothing has changed, the run goes ahead as normal.
Payroll pricing
Payroll is priced per employee, per pay run, with pension or benefit administration quoted alongside where you need it. We give you a fixed price before you commit.
It works as a standalone service or as part of a wider Buzz package covering your accounts, tax and bookkeeping. The SARS deadlines are the same whether you employ one person or fifty.
PAYE, UIF and EMP501 obligations
The EMP201 falls due by the 7th of every month, and SARS applies a 10% penalty automatically when it is late. UIF must be declared so your staff can claim. Two EMP501 reconciliations a year have to agree with the IRP5 certificates your employees use for their own tax returns. When any of these goes wrong, it affects both you and your employees.
Our payroll guide sets out each obligation in detail.
Common payroll questions
When is PAYE due each month?
The EMP201 declaration and payment are due by the 7th of the following month (or the last business day before it when the 7th falls on a weekend or public holiday).
What are UIF and SDL?
UIF is the Unemployment Insurance Fund — 1% of remuneration from the employee and 1% from the employer. SDL is the Skills Development Levy — 1% of payroll, payable by employers whose annual payroll exceeds R500,000.
What is the EMP501?
The employer reconciliation that ties your monthly EMP201s to the IRP5/IT3(a) certificates you issue to employees. It runs twice a year — an interim reconciliation and the annual one — and we handle both.
Can you take over mid-year?
Yes. We bring across year-to-date figures and employee records, and your next EMP201 goes out on time.